Snowed-In Sunday

Bradley and I had planned a quick weekend away in Asheville to celebrate his (shh - 30th!) birthday this weekend. Winter weather derailed our plans and we have rescheduled them to next weekend, the perfect spot right between B's birthday and Valentine's weekend.

This weekend we have been snowed in and got to enjoy a solid three minutes in the snow with Mac before the chill became too much for us... The rest of our days were spent in the great indoors, thanking God for power and heated blankets!

Hope you've had a wonderful weekend!

P.S. I truly must have wanted to document Mac's first snow...why else would I let Bradley take makeup-free photos of me after a particularly tough night for our little man? Try not to be scared, folks. Poor Mac doesn't know any better at this point, so those dark circles don't scare him!

Sneak Peek at Sunday's Shoot

Despite my self-absorbed mountain-out-of-molehill worries from earlier this week, the preview pictures from Sunday's shoot look wonderful. We're so excited to see the rest! Many thanks to our fabulous photographer, Rachel Halsey.

Photo Failure

Things you should not do before your first photo session as a family of three:

• Spontaneously go get your hair cut the day before.
• By someone you've never used.
• Who may or may not understand the concept of a trim.
• Who leaves your hair layered, chopped and unrecognizable.
• The morning of your session, spend too much time picking up the house.
• Spend so much time feeding the baby (hungry boy!) that the photographer arrives while your hair is wet, your makeup's not on and you're shoeless. Classy.
• Leave just ten minutes to dry your wet, choppy hair and put on some semblance of makeup.
• Pick out six outfits for the baby but none for yourself.
• Throw something together, then realize it's too big and looks silly.
• Realize halfway through that your bra may or may not be hanging out of your cardigan.
• Change immediately like a Mariah Carey-esque diva.
• Totally forget that the session is about the baby, not you.
  
• Then blog about it.
  

Planning ahead used to be my specialty. Now I'm so focused on feeding, clothing, cooing at and squeezing baby Mac that I can barely keep myself together. Work days have a very particular routine, but anything new throws my system into a tizzy. As evidenced by the list of issues above.

I trust the photographer implicitly and, let's be honest, I do have a super-photogenic child. But the shots with me in them? Let's hope Photoshop can work some magic! Sigh.

I'll do better next time, right?

Hope you have a happy Monday!

Friday Finds: Denim Polygamy

Subtitled: Anne breaks out of her jeans rut. (I prefer "comfort zone," but let's be brutally honest.)

Have I discussed my love for the AG Club jean? I know everyone loves the Kelly jean by Citizens and the A-Pocket jean by Seven, but neither of those have my heart the way my trusty AG jeans do. I have them in three different washes (and stages of wear, I might add) and seem to pick the very same pair during every annual trek for jeans.


With the exception of one mid-rise bootcut jean by Citizens I was conned into buying (and loving) last year, I'm an all-AG girl. Finding new jeans is the most exhausting thing to do on Earth, by the way, so it makes sense to me that I lean towards the familiar.

When Santa B brought me some fabulous new Frye boots, though, I just had to find a way to wear them (read: show them off) more. The only option? Skinny jeans. Cue "Psycho" music here. Eep!

What's an hourglass-shaped girl to do? Leggings haven't been my friend since the late 80s/early 90s and I needed an option that wouldn't bring me to tears but would allow me to bundle up in my boots more often my dress-wearing days. (It is the coldest January on record, y'all. I just made that up but it feels true to me!)

So I cowgirled up and tried on some straight jeans. Not skinny, not bootcut, but somewhere in the middle. And totally tuckable, my one true criterion besides "please don't make me look like I'm 300 pounds." I just had a baby, remember, Gap? Please don't make me feel worse about my new, um, physique!

So my Friday find is the first pair of non-bootcut/flare jeans to grace this derriere since high school. Friends, may I introduce you to the Gap Real Straight jean. With a snazzy online coupon (20% off, don't mind if I do!), these jeans are one-third the price of designer options - and I'm glad, because once winter's over they'll be retired until next boots season.

While I'm not shaped like the model whose lower half inspires envy, I can honestly say I don't feel terrible in these jeans. They've got a great feel to them, are cut super well and have renewed my faith in non-AG jean options.

Mix in this delightful hand-made cashmere scarf from Etsy (feel free to send this my way for Valentine's Day, Cupid!) and you've got a cozy Friday outfit.


If you can't bring spring any faster, you might as well enjoy the cold! Here's to breaking out of my bootcut box! Any other straight-leg jeans suggestions? Am I the only girl who's true to one (slash paralyzed by fear to try any other) pair of jeans?

P.S. Just after I drafted this post, I saw that Kate at Elefantitas Alegres sported the Gap Real Straight jean in her recent outfit of the day. Since she looks way fabulous in them, take a look at her. Pictures of me in the jeans? Um, they're on their way.

A Little Announcement

Our birth announcements are finally out!! At three months old, I guess this means Mac is officially here. Welcome to the world, li'l man!

Wordless Wednesday

Boden Love

Love these bold colors together!

We've talked about my love for Boden before - a few times, even. This spring's catalog arrived last week and I left it on my counter, unopened, for days. Why? Fear, friends. Fear.

For my checking account, for possible resulting marital discord, for my waning willpower, for my inability to pull off prints with the winsome darling-ness of Boden's British models. (In my mind they're British, at least.)

A text message from a friend just gushing over the latest offerings pushed me over the edge. Wow. I want to move to England, buy a dozen cheery raincoats and twice as many wellies, throw lots of quirky dinner parties and wear bright orange cardigans over teal dotted dresses.

We all know none of this will happen, so the least I can do is point out a few of my favorite things. And drop hints that just because my birthday's in July doesn't mean we can't celebrate it all. year. long. You are grateful I was born, right, B? Okay then...

(Ooh - now they have an outfit maker where you can mix and match online....no fair. If J. Crew had this, I'd be in the poor house for sure!) Here we go!

Big buttons? Yes, please!


Jacket I could never pull off but think is super pretty? Okay!

A little green Jackie O number.


Stripes + bows = love.

Cropped dots!

My favorite color and a fabulous Grecian backdrop? Santorini cardigan.


Summer.


Don't you ever want to be the "girl in the taxi?"


Do I love the dress or just the scenery?


Could anyone really pull this off? Love the nod to England...

Something Sweet

How precious are these cups and saucers? Just perfect for sipping cocoa with your valentine, I'd say. And just British enough for some high tea! Take a peek:

Nina Campbell via absolutely beautiful things

(Valentine's Day already, you ask? Well, if retailers' candy displays have taught me anything, it's that Christmas is over and it's time to focus on the next sugar rush of a holiday!)

MLK Monday and why I'm MIA

Have you seen today's Google header? Love it! Such a wonderful reminder of this holiday.

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sorry for the absence; we've had a loss in our family and I've been trying my best to keep my head above water with work, Mac, Bradley, family and life in general. So thankful to be starting 2010 knowing that only God's grace and provision carries us through.

A few big weeks are ahead, so I look forward to telling you all about them. In the meantime, thank you for your prayers and happy Monday!

So is it spring yet?

After three delightfully cozy months at home (or in the homes of friends and family or the occasional warm restaurant), I am back in the real world - and so is Mac. The result? Sniffles, coughing, earaches, congestion and an aching wish for spring.

I have a doctor's appointment to chase away this nasty cold but am fantasizing about warmer weather in the hopes that these daydreams can fix what ails me, too.

Helping me along? News that Lilly Pulitzer has paired with MAC to create a fabulously pink and green makeup line. And that she's making timepieces. And that, somewhere in the world, people are wearing sundresses and enjoying resortwear. That weather will be here one day, lovelies. I'm just hoping it's soon!

Plus, Southern Living has posted some yummy-looking slow cooker recipes. Hooray for Crock Pots and creamy soups!

Forgive me for not doing the "snow dance" today, friends. I'm bundled up with my winter boots, a scarf, a sweater, a portable heater, a hot cup of tea and a dream of tropical climes. Let's daydream together - or just count the weeks 'til our groundhog friend can share some good news with us.

Happy 2010, all!! (More to come tonight!)